Shane Hollister's line of questioning was relentless. It had been over an hour and all Caleb wanted to do now was get back to his pup. The questions had started out innocently enough. How were Caleb and Quinton getting along? Did Caleb like living in Black River? Was Quinton kind to him? But, after about thirty minutes, the questions became more invasive and somewhat personal.
It had only been a week since they'd returned to pack lands as a mated pair so how close could they have really gotten in that time? Of course Caleb didn't tell Hollister that their relationship has stayed strictly platonic but he also didn't feel right about lying to the man. Instead, he kept his answers brief and to the point. What really threw him for a loop though was when Hollister asked if they'd consummated their mating yet.
Caleb wasn't sure how Quinton had answered that question, if he was even asked it -as they had been questioned separately -so he wasn't really sure how to answer. In the end, he told the man that it was too personal a question and frankly, none of his business. That seemed to be good enough for the moment because he moved on to other questions. Questions that were equally as uncomfortable but Caleb did his best to answer them as honestly as he could.
Hollister wanted to know how often Caleb had a heat and when he thought his next one was due. Caleb shrugged. "Twice a year." He answered. "But it's unlikely I'll have one while nursing."
"Of course." Hollister smiled his usual fake, you can trust me we're friends, smile that made the hair on the back of Caleb's neck stand on end. The guy was creepy enough without the intrusive line of questioning.
"Are we about done here?" Caleb asked, already annoyed with being kept from his pup for so long. Rusty was watching him so Caleb knew he was in good hands but he still didn't like being away from him for so long. "It's almost Rhylan's feeding time."
Hollister raised a brow as he looked up from the note pad he'd been scribbling on. "Have you ever considered switching to formula?" Hollister asked.
Caleb narrowed his eyes, folding his arms across his chest in defiance. "Not if I want a healthy pup." He sneered. What was the guys deal anyway? Was the council so eager for Quinton to breed that they'd really jeopardize the health of not only Caleb's pup but Caleb as well? Was that the reason they wanted Caleb mated? So he could be used as a puppy mill?
"Are we done?" Caleb asked again, this time a bit more sternly.
Hollister sighed as he closed his folder and sat back in his chair. "I believe so. Thank you for your cooperation, Caleb."
Caleb pushed himself away from the table and stood up, shooting Hollister an irritated glare. "It's not like I had a choice." He grumbled. When Hollister didn't respond, Caleb turned and left the room, slamming the door closed hard behind him. If this was how their weekly meetings were going to go, Caleb wasn't sure he could keep from cursing the man out. He really had a way of getting under Caleb's fur.
Caleb took the elevator up to the main floor. It was close to noon and on a Monday so the den wasn't overly busy. Most of the pack were at their jobs and those who were about to go on their lunch hour would most likely swarm Annie's. The lunch rush was always her busiest time. Caleb had started going in for a coffee after Quinton had left in the mornings but he avoided lunch time all together. He Still wasn't familiar enough with the rest of the pack to be comfortable in large crowds.
He did enjoy the early morning coffee time though. Annie had enough free time to sit and talk with him awhile or croon over Rhylan, whom she seemed hopelessly in love with. Rusty, or one of the other omegas, would stop by sometimes just to see if Caleb needed any help and of course there was the weekly meeting of the omegas. Caleb wasn't sure what the alphas thought they did together but Caleb came to realize that the meetings were a safe place to share stories and advice as well as laugh and have some fun.
Caleb really looked forward to these gatherings and, with the help of his new omega friends, Caleb was slowly beginning to come out of his shell. His life had greatly improved since his days at Silver Moon. He'd never really had friends before or a place to vent his frustrations. It was also nice to know that there were others who were struggling with the trials of parenthood as he was. Rhylan had seemed to be an uncommonly quiet child. That was until the fourth night of moving in with Quinton. Suddenly, the pup didn't want to sleep through the night any longer and would wake up periodically, screaming his tiny lungs out.
Caleb worried at first that the crying would wake Quinton but mercifully, his room was far enough away that it seemed to shelter him from the constant wails. Caleb, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. He spent most of the night consoling the pup and trying unsuccessfully to get him back to sleep. By the time he settled down, it was morning and time for Caleb to start his day.
The lack of sleep made him sluggish and somewhat irritable which was why, he guessed, he'd had so little patience with Hollister. The man was taking up valuable time that Caleb could have spent doing more important things, like taking a nap. His hope now though was that once Rhylan was fed and changed he'd finally sleep some, freeing up Caleb for some well deserved rest.
As Caleb stepped off the elevator and made his way across the foyer he noticed Shelby, leaning across the front desk and talking to the receptionist. They were both laughing and acting as two old friends catching up. Caleb figured they knew each other as most pack members did. Black River was a friendly and very open community unlike Silver Moon where most of the pack kept to themselves and avoided contact with others whenever possible.
Caleb tried to be friendly as he walked the grounds, often returning waves from people he didn't yet know but seemed to know exactly who he was. He'd even been stopped a few times by older shifters who wanted to dote on Rhylan or ask Caleb how he was doing. Admittedly, he liked the attention. He liked the bright, smiling faces he encountered and he found that he really liked the comradery that was so evident in his new pack. Honestly, he hadn't had a problem with anyone, until Shelby had shown up.
He tried to sneak past the two women as quietly and quickly as he could, hoping that they were so engaged in their conversation that they wouldn't even notice him there but no such luck. The receptionist spotted him at once and with a friendly wave, called his name.
Caleb froze in his tracks. He turned and returned the smile. "Hey Darcy." Caleb greeted her in his usual warm and friendly manner.
"All done with your meeting?" She asked him.
Caleb cringed. "Done and done. Unfortunately, it's not the last. I have to meet with Hollister once a week." He made a face that illustrated his contempt.
Darcy chuckled some. "If it's any consolation, Quin looked like he was ready to rip the guys head off after his meeting."
Caleb smirked. "That, I would love to see."
"Give it time." Darcy giggled. "He definitely had Quin's hackles raised. It's only a matter of time before he goes all alpha on the guy."
"One can only hope." Caleb felt the grin stretch across his face as he pictured Quinton ripping into Hollister. The idea of his inner alpha coming out was somewhat charming, if not a little sexy even. Caleb surprised himself with his line of thinking as he pushed the thought out of his mind. Quinton was just a friend helping him out. Caleb didn't have the right to think such things about the man. It wouldn't do either of them any good to mistake his kindness for something more. Especially when he was certain that Quinton didn't share his sentiments.
"It's in an alpha's nature." Both Caleb and Darcy looked up as Shelby spoke. She brushed her blond locks behind her ear and sneered, rolling her eyes sarcastically. "They can't help it. Whenever an omega's honor is in question they have to come to their rescue. I call it the 'Knight in shining armor' syndrome. It amazes me the kind of power you omegas have over our alphas."
Caleb cocked an eyebrow as he stared at Shelby in disbelief. "We don't have any power over them." He snapped. "It's true that it's in an alpha's nature to be protective but it's not limited to only omegas. Quinton is protective of his entire pack so it's only natural that Hollister's presence here is going to ruffle Quinton's fur a bit. I suspect that he feels like his actions as Alpha are being questioned and scrutinized."
"And you don't think that it has anything to do with the fact that the actions being called into question relate to you, specifically?"
